Split Screen: The state of Android gaming

Google's Android operating system for smartphones and tablets, the only serious competitor to Apple's dominance in that field, has been in the news a lot lately.

After a string of appeals, Apple has finally had its legal blockade of Samsung closed down, allowing the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to go on sale in Australia after many months of legal arguments.

Also in the past week, Google announced that the Android Marketplace had served up its 10 billionth download since its launch two and a half years ago. Of those billions of downloads, a little over a quarter were games.

Clearly, lots of people are downloading games for their Android phones and tablets, but how is Android looking as a gaming platform so far?

The answer, sadly, is still far from a resounding yes. In terms of gaming, Android suffers from a host of major and minor issues.

A major part of the problem is hardware variability. Unlike the unified Apple devices, Android phones and tablets are made by dozens of manufacturers, and each manufacturer makes several handsets at a variety of price points. This means that there is a wide gulf between the powerful flagship devices and the budget handsets.

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Making any app work acceptably on such a diverse range of hardware is difficult, time consuming, and expensive, so many companies simply don't bother. The problem is exacerbated by the very nature of games, which tend to require visuals and heavy-duty processing that push a device to its limits. This also places more demand on a device's battery, and Android is already notorious for poor battery life.

One side effect of this is that Android games have largely remained very simple. By keeping a game basic, a developer can minimise battery drain and maximise compatibility. There is little point developing an expensive game for top-end powerhouse phones and tablets when lower-powered devices would not be able to run it. While fancy handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S II are getting attention, it's the cheaper, less powerful phones that make up the bulk of Android's sales, and developers need to keep this market segment in mind.

The knock-on from this is that Android games often look cheap and nasty, and this affects their perceived value. If a game's visuals look like there were made in MS Paint, users will balk at paying a premium price for it, or even playing at all. In contrast, iOS has a large number of extremely polished-looking games that can make some of Android's offerings look a little tawdry in comparison.

Android also suffers from a clone problem. Some of the cloning is justified, since many developers have stated that they will only develop their games for iOS. Android gamers want to play the same games as their Apple-fan friends, and that demand is filled by rip-offs of popular iOS titles.

Some are quite well done, like Dragon, Fly! a thinly disguised remake of Andreas Illiger's smash hit Tiny Wings. Illiger publically stated he would not port Tiny Wings to Android, so a host of imitations soon cropped up. Dragon, Fly! is the first to really nail it.

Other clones are less successful. The extraordinarily ugly Angry Frogs is a shameless rip-off of Angry Birds, even though unlike Tiny Wings it is already available on Android.

While the insanely popular Angry Birds (and its spin-offs Seasons and Rio) has been ported to Android, all of them are only available in free ad-supported versions. Users in the USA can buy ad-free versions from Amazon's Android store, but the rest of the world is stuck with ads.

Forcing users to see ads and refusing them the opportunity to pay for a game is another way that Android games can feel tacky or unprofessional. It doesn't help that in Angry Birds the ad banners get in the way and make the game harder to play.

Google has also been criticised for its handling of complaints about copied and pirated games, and this poor response has not helped its credibility as a development platform.

Despite all of these problems, there are plenty of good games available on Android, and much like Apple's App Store, I think the quality will improve over time. Games are already appearing that take advantage of powerful new Android tablets, and if they succeed it will no doubt encourage other developers to take the plunge.

It helps that many respected companies are already dabbling their toes in the Android pool. Australia's own Halfbrick is one example, making a version of its popular iOS game Fruit Ninja available on Android.

To finish off, here are some of the games I have enjoyed on my Android phone in 2011. Feel free to share your own favourites in the comments below, or to tell us about the most offensive rip-off you have seen on the Android Marketplace.

Angry Birds - Those ad banners are annoying, to be sure, but this is still one of the most fun games available on touch-screen phones today. Launch birds from a catapult to smash blocks and knock out those evil green pigs.

Everlands - An extremely clever turn-based puzzle game, Everlands features a truly evil difficulty curve and unforgiving AI, but if you have the patience for it, it's one of the prettiest games for Android.

Apparatus - A fancy-looking 3D physics puzzle game, Apparatus challenges you to fulfil a simple goal: get the ball in the basket. The actual solution can be incredibly complex, however, requiring motors, pulleys, and more.

X Construction - I have watched this title develop over many years, starting as a simple PC game and evolving onto touch devices. The Android version is plain to look at, but great to play. Build bridges within a strict budget, then test whether they will stand up to a train driving over.

Steambirds - Like Everlands, this action puzzle game sports a severe difficulty curve, but it's worth it when it all comes together. Control a squadron of steam-powered fighters in an alternative 20th century war.

Slitherlink - Of all the Sudoku-style Japanese logic games, Slitherlink (also known as Loops and many other names) is my favourite. Ejelta LLC's version is pretty a much perfect translation onto touch screen.

Drop 7 - The Android version of this addictive number puzzler looks and plays identically to its iOS counterpart. Very highly recommended.

Game Dev Story - Kairosoft has ported several of its popular "Story" games to Android, including Hot Springs Story and Grand Prix Story. Game Dev Story is the one that has devoured many hours of my commuting time, though.